Life, Is this truly what it is?
by Angered Roach
Summary: Feel free to suggest a new title, I know it sucks. Almost as much as this Summary. Primary focus is on Amarant and Vivi's children. Not much else I can say, really...
1. Beginning from the end

A massive ship had parked itself right in the middle of Alexandria's courtyard, as though it were some sort of shipyard. Massive throngs of the upper-class men and women had gathered about the ship, watching attentively from their seats. And from the rooftops, sat the lower-class Alexandrians, peering over the castle wall, so as to see the ship.  
  
Close to the ship sits a silent man. Long, crimson dreadlocks flow from the top of the mans head, covering his eyes from being seen. Sitting atop his muscular build is a thick, green leather shirt, sleeves conspicuously absent.  
  
Strapped onto his hand was some sort of weapon. It seemed to be carved out of a black stone, perhaps onyx. set in the middle was a ruby, a single rune visible within it's scarlet depths. Stretching out from it were three long blades, made of an unwavering metal, runes running up and down them.  
  
About his waist was a large, tattered satchel. Holes had begun to open up in the satchel, and a small glint of metal could be seen when light had the spot.  
  
As a man and a woman on stage held each other in a sweet embrace, his hands clapped together. Though he seemed to be genuinely happy for the two, he was rather unconsciously doing this, his mind swimming with thoughts.  
  
"Zidane and Garnet. Those two sure seem happy...this must be love...but love...just what is love? Is this 'love' something i've ever experienced? And is it truly the mine of happiness it is made out to be? Or is it just a facade, doomed to a pro-longed depression after the fact? Pah...what am I bothering with these thoughts for, the only ones don't view me as a criminal or an object of fear and hatred are Zidane...Freya...and all the others..." The tall man thought to himself, still joining in the applause.  
  
As the scene had ended, the two walked off into the back of the theater ship, sitting themselves down at a small table to talk with one another in peace. Zidane had lain his hands across a dusty old map.  
  
"Wow...It's still here..." Zidane thought aloud, smoothing the old parchment down.  
  
"What is it? Oh...I see..." Garnet had responded, as her eyes trailed alongside a red line, leading from Linblum to Alexandria, a small paragraph stating operation procedures scrawled in just above the city, pointing to the towering castle.  
  
Amarant rose from his seat, and headed off, only to feel a tiny, gauntlet covered paw gently hit his shoulder.  
  
"Amarant?" The bearer of the hand queried. However, Amarant had just remained silent. He knew in his mind that whoever was behind him was going to ask the question anyway, so no need for formalities.  
  
"I noticed you started clapping...but soon after, you just stopped. Why was that?"  
  
Amarant had spun around to see one of his better friends. Freya. The question had caught him off guard. Had he really stopped clapping? In his mind, he was sure he had been clapping, but then, he wasn't really paying attention.  
  
"It's...well...nothing really..." He responded, and with that, he walked on, leaving his crimson-armor clad friend standing there. Standing there that is, until the crowd started telling her to move, all the while shoving her along.  
  
His feet tapped lightly upon the stone as he headed towards the ship. Just outside the ship, he found a large group of people, dressed pretty much the same. All clad in tall hats that shrouded their faces, and blue cloaks. Their eyes glowed as mana flowed through them.  
  
"Amarant!" The tallest one had shouted, rushing over, slightly stumbling as he did so.  
  
"Did you see where Freya went?" He responded, hardly even acknowledging him. The tallest one, Vivi, sighed a little. Though taller than his sons, even with his hat, he hardly reached Amarant's height.  
  
"I'm right here Amarant." A feminine voice said from out of nowhere, causing Amarant to turn around to face the voice.  
  
Far off, a loud clanking could be heard, as a man and a woman ran along-side each other.  
  
"I'm looking forward to seeing the others, aren't you, General Beatrix?" The man said to Beatrix, keeping up a running pace. He was getting far too old for this.  
  
"Aldebert, please just call me Beatrix. We aren't in formal company, you can talk normal." Beatrix responded, clearing some of her bouncing, brown hair out of her face.  
  
"Here come Steiner and Beatrix" Vivi stated, straightening his hat.  
  
And just as he said it, the two had arrived, Steiner hunched over, drawing in sharp breaths, Beatrix clearing some more of her hair out of her face again.  
  
"Master Vivi, Where is Zidane and Princes...er...Queen Garnet?" Steiner said after finally regaining his wind.  
  
"Here they come." Beatrix said innatentively as she watched the two step off the ship.  
  
The two stepped towards them, Zidane's arm wrapped about Garnet's waist.  
  
"Vivi, Rusty, Freya...Amarant. You're all here. But where's Eiko and Cid? Or Hilda? Or Quina, for that matter..." Zidane asked of the gathering, his tail moving on it's own, as though a sentient being.  
  
A distinguished looking couple headed across the threshold, a woman in an expensive dress, pearls embroidering it's sheer opal form. A man ran alongside the woman. He wore a long red cloak, but his most distinguishing feature was a large, upwards-curving mustache. Walking between them was a small girl, a horn poking out from with short strands of azure.  
  
"Uncle Cid!" Garnet exclaimed, picking her gown off the floor, and running over to him.  
  
"You always have to be late, don't you, father? That's no way to treat royalty! You should know that, you're royalty!" The little girl said to him, mock-snobbily.  
  
"Eiko...called me it again! Ah...thank you." Cid responded.  
  
"You adopted Eiko, Uncle Cid?" Garnet queried.  
  
"No, not just yet. Me and Hilda are going to tomorrow though."  
  
"Wow...That's great news. You take good care of Eiko, she's just like my little sister!"  
  
"Oh believe me Garnet, we will. We will."  
  
The group continued to talk more, and as they did, a heavyset creature dressed in pink and white came jogging up to the group, it's gargantuan tongue hanging from it's mouth.  
  
"Hey Quina." Zidane had greeted the strange being.  
  
"Are tasty munchies already prepared?" The odd being asked, to noone in particular.  
  
"Oh my...I forgot about that! Sorry, Quina, not yet!" Garnet exclaimed, in an overly-apolgetic tone.  
  
"No munchies? Say...I got idea. How about I prepare feast for you all?" Quina said..  
  
"Quina, that sounds like a great idea!" Freya responded.  
  
"Okay. I go make food now!" And with that, Quina had gone into the castle, his footsteps echoing throughout the gigantic hallways as he proceeded into the kitchen.  
  
The troupe followed after, marble floors announcing their presence to the big, open ceilings, their movements revereberating throughout the hall. Aftere a few minutes of walking, passing a couple patched up walls and workers, they reached their destination. Ordrinarily, two soldiers would have opened the door for them, but they were all working on rebuilding the castle, so none were on-hand. Zidane's hand touched upon the oak surface and sent it forward, allowing them passage.  
  
Their movements had now become muffled, their fit now hitting a crimson, plush carpet. They all pulled seats away from the gargantuan table, and they sat, discussing matters, as they waited for dinner.  
  
"Wow...they sure got this place rebuilt fast" Vivi thought aloud, a tone of awe in his voice.  
  
"Well, At the moment, only the courtyard, Throne room, Kitchen, and Dining room are done. The main hall is almost finished though." Garnet responded to him. The red man silently removed the weapon from his hand, placing it on his knee.  
  
"Mmmm...whatever Quina is making, it sure smells good!" Steiner said.  
  
"It sure does Rusty, what do you suppose Quina is fixing anyway?" Zidane made an open question to the entire table.  
  
"I distinctly smell some sort of potatoes. Beyond that, I haven't a clue." Eiko responded, trying her best to sound both classy and informal at the same time.  
  
After a few more minutes of Chatter, Quina came walking into the dining room, followed by the staff of Alexandrian cooks. They quickly served everyone their dish without saying a word and left. Quina took his seat next to the family.  
  
"Tonight I have fix for you, my special-recipe, seasoned bake potato, Corn-on-the-cob bathed in my special-recipe butter, and the finishing piece...my ever-so succulent frog legs! Dig in everybody!"  
  
"Frog...legs...?" Eiko asked to nothing in particular, a little hint of disgust in her voice.  
  
"Try it, it's good!" Quina chirped gleefully, already almost done with his frog legs.  
  
"Well. You never know until you try." And with that, Amarant was the second, other than Quina to take a bite out of one of the frog legs.  
  
"So...Amarant, is it any good...?" Eiko asked him, a look of slight hopefulness on her face.  
  
"Actually...yeah, it's pretty good." Amarant responded, starting to eat the frog legs more quickly. And as he did so, Eiko started to eat hers, then Freya, and soon, the entire table was eating them, and none of them seemed to dislike it one bit.  
  
"Wow Quina, good job" Zidane comented. "Yes, thanks for the meal." Freya said, a little bit of food slightly muffling her voice.  
  
Afterwards, when everyone was done and full, Amarant got up from his seat, and walked silently up the steps, going out a pair of french doors and onto a balcony, without saying a word.  
  
"Hmmm...wonder what he's up to..." Zidane said, almost to himself.  
  
"Don't worry about him, he's just being his usual self." Steiner stated with a slight wave of his hand.  
  
"Well, i'm going to go check up on him, all the same. Kids, just stay here." Vivi said, rising from his seat. "I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
"Okay Vivi." Garnet said, finishing off the last of her potato.  
  
Going out onto the Balcony, Vivi found Amarant leaning on the railing, staring up into the sky.  
  
"Hi..." Vivi shyly said, also looking up at the sky.  
  
"Hi." Amarant responded.  
  
"Just came out for a breath of fresh air?" Vivi queried.  
  
"Hmmm...you could say that...Say Vivi...you didn't happen to see Lani in the crowd, did you?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"You know...that girl that Brahne hired, along with me...remember, back in Madain Sari?"  
  
"Oh...Her...no, why?"  
  
"Well, I saw her on my way here, and she said she was going here too, so I was just curious..."  
  
"Oh..." And with that, the conversation had pretty much ended, as the two silenty stared into the night sky. 


	2. Assault

As the others continued to talk, suddenly, one of Vivi's children piped up.  
  
"If it is okay with you all, we would like to be heading home now. Please tell our father." And with those words, the children marched out of the great castle, down the docks, and hopping onto a small ferry.  
  
"Wow. Master Vivi has taught them such manners." Aldebert said to the table. Beatrix could be seen putting her hand on her face and shaking her head, but underneath that hand, she was silently laughing.  
  
Amarant continued to stare into the stars, but Vivi however, had taken to watching the calm ferryway waters, shimmering in the moonlight. After a few minutes, he saw his kids pass by, and waved to them, unsure if they saw him or not. A few more peaceful moments passed, when all of a sudden, they heard a thunderous noise, accompanied with sharp gusts of wind. From the clouds descended a large dragon, and sensing their body heat, it flew closer to the terrace.  
  
"Uh oh..." Vivi said in slight nervousness. They got into defensive positions, when suddenly, the great beasts tail swung at the two. Amarant had managed to use the tail to gain a boost and jump onto the dragon's back, but Vivi wasn't so lucky. The mage was swept off his feet and fell flat to the floor. When he got up, he saw Amarant curled into a defensive position, eyes closed, as his claw-less fist started glow a bright white. After a moment, Amarant leapt into the air, fist a sheer ball of white, of which he soon released. The focused energies went flying straight into the center of the dragon's back full force.  
  
The dragon obviously wasn't too happy, and spun around, hoping to attack Amarant upon descent. At this he held his weapon forward. Upon descent, the three blades pierced into the dragon's calf, momentarily distracting it. Amarant seized this opportunity to leap back onto the balcony.  
  
Finally, his opportunity had come. Vivi began to focus his magical properties into his staff, unleashing from within a great power. The night grew even darker, so much so, that it had become pitch black. Vivi knew he had picked the wrong spell, but it was too late now. He braced himself. The darkness faded a little, to reveal the evil that lurked beneath. A great beam of darkness spread out over them, enveloping them all within shadows, the evil greatly harming their bodies. All three cried out in pain. But just as soon as it had started, it had ended, leaving them all weakened. Unfortunately, noone downstairs heard their cries, so it seemed hopeless.  
  
"Hey there, Red!" a feminine voice shouted from the darkness. All three had turned to see what was going on. A great battle axed sliced through the darkness, slamming into the dragon's back. A great roar pierced the night sky, but the dragon wasn't about to go out like this. Focusing all it's energies, it managed to cause a meteor to become succeptible to earth's gravity. A look of horror crept over their faces, as the meteor impacted with the balcony, rendering all three unconcious, and decimating the balcony. The dragon lost all it's life, and will to live, and dropped to the earth as well, stone dead.  
  
This had not gone unheard, the group rushed up to the balcony, only to find that it had been destroyed. Below them they saw the ruins of the balcony, a small meteor resting within a crater, and a large dragon's corpse. Garnet emitted a gasp of horror, but the others remained silent.  
  
Her eyes flickered open, and she came to a realization. She was stuck within the ruins of a balcony. She wasn't about to be done in like this. Not the great Lani. Mustering her strength, she clambered out from the rubble. She opened up her satchel, and began to drink a clear, green liquid. She felt alot better, and consequently went to work.  
  
The group came to a dead end. It appeared that the impact had jarred a few loose walls, preventing them from moving about the castle.  
  
"Damnit! When will this end?! Urgh!!!" Zidane shouted exasperatedly, running up the spiral steps. He lept blindly out what used to be the french doors. However he had uncoordinated his jump, and foolishly landed directly upon the meteor, going unconcious as well.  
  
"The hell was that!?" Lani spun around, red hair shimmering in the moonlight. She saw Zidane's unconcious form on the meteor.  
  
"Stupid fool!" She hurriedly pulled him off. He was suffering some severe-looking burns, but she couldn't just leave Amarant and Vivi there! Why did she have to be the good guy all of a sudden! Suddenly, she heard another approaching. She spun around again, and saw Freya standing there, weilding a large spear. She took one look at Zidane, nodded, lifted up his body, and ran off into the city.  
  
"Well, at least that's taken care of..." and with that, she began to root through the rubble, eventually un-earthing the two.  
  
"What would ya do without me?" And she proceeded to laying a couple of glowing orange feathers upon their bodies, the life force draining out of them and sparking their bodies out of their unconcious states.  
  
Then, she heard another person drop. Who now? She turned around to see...the little brat from Madain Sari!?  
  
"Hey...I know you! You're that lady that tried to kidnap Garnet at my hometown! And you used me as lure! That's no way to treat a lady!" The little girl shouted.  
  
"Urgh...I don't have time for this. I'm out of here." And with that, Lani walked away from the castle, and into the night.  
  
"What a mean lady..." Eiko shook her head, and raised a flute to her mouth. She blew into it, and and a magical sound was produced, healing the two back to full health. 


	3. An old friend or foe?

Slowly, Amarant's eyes began to flutter open, and the first thing he saw upon his awakening was long strips of green, tickling at his face in an irritating manner. A grumble managed to escape his mouth, and he rolled over onto his back, looking up at the sky for a few minutes. Shaking his head, he then placed the flat of his palm on the earth and lifted himself up.  
  
Looking about him, he saw Vivi dusting himself off, Eiko looking at the two strangely, the dragon's corpse, and a mysterious set of footprints. Without a word, he set off into the dark, following the footprints, leaving Eiko and Vivi to stand there with a dumbfounded look on both of their faces.  
  
He soon realized that he'd walked out so far that he could barely even see the castle. What struck him as odd, was that he felt the need to follow these footprints. Ordinarily, he just wouldn't care...but there was something...odd... about these particular patterns.  
  
However, his contemplation was soon interrupted. A large blade sunk into his leg, the broad edge creating a large fissure within his flesh, blood dripping down, escaping the wound as though trying to be free.  
  
"AGH!!!" He screamed out loud, in reaction to the pain. He spun about, looking for his assailant.  
  
"Oh, it's just you Red." Lani's voice called out from behind a viel of darkness.  
  
He still couldn't see her, but he now knew she was there. Ripping a bit of fabric off from his vest, he tied it about the wound, as a make- shift tourniquette. He still remained quiet during this whole process.  
  
"Well...aren't you going to say something? I just gave you that nasty wound on accident...any normal person would be screaming their head off at me!" Lani said to him, in a questioning manner.  
  
"Actions say more than words..." And with that, he leaped up from the ground, and adopted a fighting stance, preparing himself to fight.  
  
"What's this? A challenge?" Lani asked him.  
  
"You could say that." And with Amarant immediately went on the offensive. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a steel disc. He immediately curled his arm and unleashed it upon his opponent. In reaction Lani, swung her axe at the throwing weapon, destroying it, but this had left her open, which was evident when she felt a hard punch to the side. Immediately she swung her axe again, the blade piercing the air in a great parabola. Amarant tried to evade it, but she was too quick. Another strike piercing into his leg, close to the previous wound. The two stopped suddenly, and looked at each other, drawing in sharp breaths.  
  
"It's too dark out to be doing this. Let's call a truce. Whaddya say, Red?" Lani asked her opponent.  
  
"Okay then...for now." Amarant responded. The two nodded, and then Amarant walked back towards Alexandria, limping as he went.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh...that irresponsible..." Steiner growled, clenching his fists.  
  
"It's just his way Steiner. He'll be back soon. He was probably following those footprints." Zidane said to him, attempting to calm him down, though, not doing a very good job at it. Soon they noticed that he was back, limping as he did so. Steiner could feel his anger well up a little, but he held himself back.  
  
"What happened to you?" Zidane asked him.  
  
"...Got into a fight with Lani..." Amarant responded.  
  
"The other Bounty Hunter?" Zidane asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Yes..." Amarant responded again. He then proceeded to sit down on one of the large bricks from the castle's partially destroyed wall, tending to his wounds. Garnet suddenly had a flashback, remember Lani, remembering when her mother was influenced by Kuja, remembering, when her mother tried to kill her...  
  
She swayed a little bit, but shook her head, and regained her equilibrium, trying to eject those thoughts form her head. That was in the past now, no need to dwell on it.  
  
"Princess! Are you allright?!" Steiner asked in an excited manner, forgetting that she was no longer the princess, but rather the queen.  
  
"Y...y..yeah. I'm fine. I think I just need to get some rest." Garnet responded, rushing into the castle.  
  
"Sound like good idea. It late" Quina proclaimed to the group, also rushing off into the castle.  
  
Vivi straightened his hat, and rushed off to the ferry, so he could get home to his children. The rest then ran into the castle, except for Amarant, who camped outside, going through a constant cycle of thinking, and meditating. 


	4. Prelude to a family

After a while, Amarant dozed off into a peaceful slumber, his body dropping off the rock he was sitting on, and sprawling out across the grass. After about another 3 hours, he awoke, not even having realized that he fell asleep. He peeld himself off the grass and looked towards the rising sun, and began to stretch his arms. He stood there a moment, enjoying the stillness of the morning. It was as though everything was...dead. He sighed a little, and then folded his arms across his chest, leaning up against the castle wall, and waited. Though for what, he did not know.  
  
The regent of Lindblum, Cid, tumbled out of bed in his sleep, making quite a thud as he hit the floor. Quite obviously, this had awoken him. He looked over at his sleeping wife, Hilda, and his soon-to-be-daughter, Eiko, resting within a corner of a large, comfortable armchair that was made for someone far bigger than her. A smile crept onto his face, and he went to go get ready, so he could look his best on this day. The day, that he would gain, a daughter.  
  
Garnet's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing that she had seen was the canopy to her elegant bed. Rolling up, she saw Steiner, gaurding the door to the room, and Beatrix, laying in a cot, her trusty sword, Save The Queen at her side. She quickly rushed off into the dressing room, preparing herself for the day's event. Her "sister" would finally gain a family.  
  
This wave had continued throughout the castle, everyone getting up, and getting ready, so they could celebrate. Everyone that is, except for Amarant. Whilst everyone else was getting dressed up with grins on their face, Amarant was dueling with an oak tree, getting himself ready for the battle. Everyone wore a smile upon their face, whilst Amarant posessed a look of determination. After a little while of this, he took a break and went down to the docks to rest. Soon after, a ferry came up, carrying Vivi and his various children. Children whom he didn't know a single name of, or how they came to be. But it wasn't his concern.  
  
"Hi..." Vivi said as he marched past Amarant. But his mind was too full of thoughts to be concerned with the fact that he hadn't gotten a response.  
  
The group had all assembled within the dining hall, sitting down to a delicious home-cooked breakfast. After a few words regarding what made that day so special, they immediately dug in, and it didn't dawn on any of them for the longest time, that one of their number wasn't there.  
  
"Say...Where's Amarant?" Zidane asked to the table, slightly muffled with eggs.  
  
"I saw him at the Ferry Docks earlier. But he's probably gone be now..." Vivi responded, swallowing his food before-hand.  
  
"How rude of him..." Steiner said, almost to himself.  
  
"He probably doesn't know what's going on. I'd imagine that's why he's not here. Usually he'd at least show up, wether or not he actually wanted to..." Garnet said, trying to calm Steiner down, just as Zidane had, the night before.  
  
"I go tell him!" Quina exclaimed, as he dumped the rest of his meal into his maw, and ran out of the castle. Quina found his quary almost immediately as he exited the castle, continuing his training upon the tree. He then proceed to run up to him.  
  
"Why you fight tree?" Quina asked him.  
  
"I'm...Training..." Amarant responded, trying to imagine that the tree was assaulting him, so he could better prepare.  
  
"Why's that?" Quina again asked.  
  
"So I can be ready for my fight with Lani today. Please leave me alone, so I can concentrate..." Amarant responded.  
  
"Fight? You no go to Lindblum?" Quina's question furthered.  
  
At this Amarant turned around to look at the strange gourmand, sweat rolling down his face.  
  
"Linblum? For what?" Amarant asked.  
  
"Ah. Others right. You no know." Quina said to him, then ran back into the castle. Amarant shrugged and stopped training.  
  
* * *  
  
"You guys right. He not know." Quina adressed the table.  
  
"Well...did you tell him?" Freya asked.  
  
"I no get chance to. He told me to go away, saying he busy 'training'. He was attacking a tree." Quina responded.  
  
"I better go get him...we leave soon..." Freya said to noone in particular as she ran out of the castle.  
  
Amarant began to walk away from the tree, seeking out the docks. He soon reached them, and he was lucky enough to find a ferry there. He asked the ferryman to bring him to city, and jumped into the small boat. As he neared the city, he dipped his hands within the water, cupped them, and splashed his face, washing away the sweat. After getting off, he walked out into the city.  
  
Freya ran outside, looking at all the trees for some movement, hoping that he was still training. After a few minutes of looking around, she didn't see any sing of life at all, and with a sigh, walked back into the castle. 


	5. Parting of ways

Amarant headed through a couple busy streets, the racket of construction work filling his ears. Everywhere around him, people worked dilligently to restore the ruins of their homes and businesses. As he headed into the main square, a small child ran right into his legs, almost knocking him over.  
  
"...Watch it kid..." Amarant said to the child.  
  
"S..s..so sorry sir...Uhm...uhm...i'll be going now!" The kid responded, and dashed away. Amarant shook his head and stepped into the inn.  
  
* * *  
  
"Great..." Zidane muttered, in response to Freya's report.  
  
"That worthless filth! And don't you go defending him either!" Steiner said angrily, pointing at Zidane, throwing his usual air to the wind.  
  
"Woah. Calm down Rusty...It's not like he's the deciding factor in saving the world or anything. Don't worry about it. Besides that, noone really even got a chance to tell him." Zidane said assuringly to Steiner.  
  
"What're the chances he would've come anyway?" Steiner said under his breath. Noone heard him though, for at that moment, the airship's engines had started up, and everyone rushed into the craft.  
  
* * *  
  
The moment Amarant stepped in, he instantly saw her. She sat upon one of the chairs, holding a large battle axe within her hands, her red hair flowing over her shoulders. He also noticed the inn-keeper staring nervously at the axe.  
  
"Hmmm...Figured you would've been here."  
  
"Hey there Red. Ready?" Lani said as she stood up, balancing the axe handle upon her shoulder. Amarant however, said nothing, and walked out the door.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes..." Lani said to noone in particular, as she dashed out the door after him.  
  
* * *  
  
Zidane leaned over the railing of the airship, holding out his hands and allowing them to cut through the clouds. Vivi's children had flanked him, also staring in wonder at the clouds. Their father however, remained in the cabin.  
  
"Say...I can't really recall your guy's names...what were they again?" Zidane asked the children, trying to cover up for the fact that noone had really bothered to tell him.  
  
"I'm Pao!" One of the children piped up. "And this is Mark, Devin, Rei, Barin, and Enkidou!" Pao pointed to each of them in turn.  
  
"Enkidou...that name seems familiar..." Zidane thought aloud.  
  
"Enkidou isn't a black mage like the rest of us. He specalizes in Blue Magic instead." Mark proclaimed.  
  
"Blue Magic? Isn't that what Quina uses?" Zidane continued to think aloud.  
  
"I however, am not the only non-black mage here. Pao is very skilled in the ways of healing magicks and sorcery." Enkidou stated.  
  
"This is quite interesting...I never knew you guys could learn anything other than black magic...anything else you guys can do that's special?"  
  
"I can conjur up illusions of the mind and body. I do not know a specific name for my magic though, I am still studying up on that." Rei said, casting a small blue flame, and shaping it into a beast with his mind.  
  
"Amazing..." Zidane said.  
  
* * *  
  
The two stood several feet apart from each other, looking each other in the face, slowly circling. After about 5 minutes of this, Amarant got bored of it, and drew back his fist behind his body, and shut his eyes. Lani gave him a funny look, wondering what he was trying to do.  
  
After but a few seconds though, she could see a bright white light emanating from his drawn-back fist, and before she could do anything, the gathered energy flew forward and slammed into her stomach, causing her to drop her axe. Lani got back up and picked up her axe, and rushed forward, a look of determination on her face. Amarant buckled his knees getting ready to jump out of the way, but before he knew it, Lani jumped over him, slightly throwing him off. Upon landing Lani slashed at his ankles, knocking him to the ground. His ankles were wounded, but luckily for him, his boots had absorbed most of the attack, allowing him to at least walk.  
  
Amarant got up off the ground, ignoring the sharp pain in his ankles. He reached into his satchel, and pulled out a large, 4-bladed object. He threw it at her in a parabola, knowing she'd try and destroy it before it got to her. However, her axe missed, and the Wing Edge had imbedding itself into her leg. She cried out and reach for her wound, as Amarant began to slowly limp forward, gritting his teeth.  
  
"Urgh...let's call it a draw..." Lani said to him, wincing as she pulled out the powerful shuriken.  
  
"Whatever..." Amarant said, looking at his wounds. He closed his eyes, and lets his arms relax at his sides, and slowly began to bring them upwards, his neck relaxed. Slowly, his ankle-wounds began to close up and heal, and so had Lani's. After doing this, he turned around and headed back for Alexandria.  
  
"Red! Hey...wait!" Lani called out as she got up and went after him. 


	6. An explanation is in order

"Wait? I do not associate myself with cowards like yourself." Amarant said, as he turned to face Lani.  
  
"But..." Was the only word Lani could think of to respond with.  
  
"First, you have to resort to taking a hostage to get to your quarry, and now you want to run out of a fight like this. Just go."  
  
"What do you mean, running out of a fight?"  
  
" 'Let's call it a draw', those are the words of a man on the verge of losing, one who cannot accept defeat."  
  
"Urgh...Why do you have to be such a jerk?" Lani cried out, but she couldn't get any further words out of him. Nothing more than silence.  
  
* * *  
  
"So, how did you guys manage to get like this?" Zidane queried the children.  
  
"All the Black Mages have one thing in common...a rather high profiency with magic. What sort of Magic we can control is set at birth. Our father was the first Black Mage created, and so, he had special genes. These genes were passed onto us, and most of us ended up with specialties in other fields of sorcery." Rei responded.  
  
"So...what you're saying...is that instead of Black Mages, you could have turned out as being identified as Blue Mages or something of that sort?" Zidane asked.  
  
"Well...here's how it works. After studying up a bit on this matter, I found out that Black Mages are the magic spawn of the mist. Kuja was the one to create the current set of Black Mages, and being an adept in this field himself, was easily able to churn out droves of these sort. Were he to be skilled in Blue Magic, or White Magic, or even my un-named field, then surely the current Mage race would be identified as such." Rei responded.  
  
"Wow...So if say...Eiko or Garnet were to find out how to create them, then they could re-awaken the summoner's race, and re-populate Madain Sari?!" Zidane asked, his voice starting to steep up in excitement a little.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"I've gotta go tell them!"  
  
"Oh great..."  
  
* * *  
  
"C'mon, say something to me already!" Lani shouted exasperatedly. However, Amarant just kept on walking, ignoring the fact that she was shouting at him.  
  
"Urgh...I give up!" Lani yelled emptily, and stomped off. As she did so, Amarant saw her sleeve fly up a little, and he saw an odd tattoo. He didn't get a ver good look at it, but it looked very familiar.  
  
"Hmmm...?" Amarant said to himself. He thought about it for a moment, shrugged, then headed back to Alexandria.  
  
* * *  
  
Zidane dashe into the ship's cabin, with an excited look on his face. Rei had come in after him.  
  
"Zidane! Come back here, I need to tell you something!" Rei shouted.  
  
"What is it? Can I talk to Garnet first?" Zidane asked him.  
  
"It's about that!" Rei shouted.  
  
"The whole deal is a bit more complicated than you might think" Enkidou stated calmy, seemingly coming out of nowhere.  
  
"Well...allright..." Zidane said, reluctantly coming back out onto the ship's deck.  
  
"It's not that simple. The creation process is a practice of the occult. The process was banished long ago. Were Garnet, or even Eiko, to imbibe the mist with their powers, and chant the rites, they would most certainly be ostracized! Kuja was feared and hated already, and so had nothing to lose via this process. Garnet however, would lose her honor, her royalty, everything! And the creations would not be the Madain Sari brand of summoners! They would be just like us, their only common thread being the ability to call eidolons. It's simply not worth it!" Rei pleaded to him, beginning to run out of breath.  
  
"Man...you guys sure are well-read on this matter...Allright. I won't say anything to Garnet." Zidane said assuringly to the children.  
  
"Promise?" asked Pao.  
  
"Promise." Zidane responded. 


	7. A voice calls from the past

Amarant eventually came upon a shorter stretch of grass, the ground sounding a bit like it had a spring beneath it. Even when the castle was in the midst of repairs, the lawn was still well cared for. He continued on into the castle. An eerie feeling came upon, and silence was the only thing in the castle. He shrugged it off, and continued up to the guest's quarters.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey Vivi...why aren't you out there with your kids?" Garnet asked.  
  
"I hate being hit with rushing winds...I hate seeing the sky above and below me...I hate the fact that this ship could fail and gravity could nab us again...I hate flying." Vivi responded.  
  
"You know...i've been meaning to ask you something. Who is those kid's mother anyway?"  
  
"They...err...didn't HAVE...a mother..."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The mages don't reproduce sexually..."  
  
"So then...how?"  
  
"You know how much I was against the creation of Kuja's black mages, right? Well that was largely attributed to the fact that they were not only given a short lifespan, but also, were born with no personality, no mind of their own, and could easily become mindless killing machines...as Kuja demonstrated..."  
  
"Yeah...so how does this relate?"  
  
"Well...I found out a better way for them to be created! If I myself simply made them, then they would live longer, develop their own personalites immediately...in short, they could be just like me, just like humans, with one tiny difference! magic!"  
  
"Wow...So...if an actual black mage, and not just a human with black magic creates the black mages, then they end up like you?"  
  
"Ah yes. But it's not just limited to black magic! Pao even has white magic!"  
  
"Really? Does this mean...that...summoners could be recreated?!"  
  
Vivi instantly felt an overwheming un-easy-ness. This is exactly the kind of idea he was supposed to make sure she didn't get, and he blew it! His self-defeating thoughts were interrupted however, when a rumbling over- took the ship. He turned to look out the window, and noticed that they were on solid ground. Everybody began to rush out.  
  
* * *  
  
Amarant stepped into his room, and slumped down upon the bed. Almost instantly he fell asleep.  
  
A dream snatched him in his slumber. A swirling vortex of colors all around him. All sorts of images swam around him, and he began to notice they were all of people he had fought. Looking to his side, he saw a tall, bald man's face. He remembered him. His master in his youth, and his first memory. His name however, escaped him. He continued down this odd hall of memories, which stopped abruptly at Lani.  
  
He stopped to look at Lani's image for a few moments, trying to catch another glimpse of that tatoo that he saw when she stormed off. But alas, all he could see was a slight curve. He shrugged, and continued down the hall.  
  
There stood a tall woman, pal, skinny, and quite fragile looking. Red hair flowed over her white gown, and her arms were stretched out in an embrace. The whole thing was blacked out by a sudden image of a rose. He watched as the petals slowly began to defold into the center, turning into a bud. The stem then began to shrink, and then it all became a stem.  
  
He awoke suddenly. He blinked momentarily, shook his head, then leaped out of bed.  
  
"Man...who was that anyway?" He said to noone in particular as he reached up to scratch his head. 


	8. A mysterious stranger

Suddenly, He heard a noise, and swiftly turned around. He look out into the hall, and saw nothing.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
He continued to stare blankly out into the hall for a couple more minutes, and with a shrug, turned back around. He saw a small flicker within the shadows.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
A mysterious voice suddenly called out.  
  
"Been a long time Amarant..."  
  
Amarant turned to face the mysterious stranger. The man was covered from head to toe in a black suit. The only things he could see on the person other than the blackness, were a pair of grey gloves upon his hands, and his eyes. His eyes ran up and down the twin swords he held within his hands.  
  
"Don't tell me you don't recognize me..."  
  
"Can't say that I do. Tell me who you are."  
  
"Why go and do a thing like that? You don't remember me now, and chances are you won't remember me later. However. There is good reasons that I am here..."  
  
"And what would those be?" Amarant asked in response, strapping on his Rune Claw as he did so, just in case.  
  
"So hasty to think that i'm here for a battle...Don't worry. I come in peace." The stranger responded, sheathing his swords. Amarant rushed forward, grabbing the stranger by the throat and lifting him in the air.  
  
"I didn't ask if you came in peace or not, did I? I asked why you are here. And who you are. And it would be worthwile to tell me." He said angrily, facing upwards to the man's face, raising his clawed hand up to the man's throat.  
  
"Eckk...fine...name's Gaspar...Now let me go!"  
  
"Why...are you here?" He asked again, tightening his grip.  
  
"T...o...w...a...r..." Was all that Gaspar managed to say, before he fell limp.  
  
"Damnit...he passed out!" He shouted, throwing the unconcious ninja into a corner, and trudging off to go get some water.  
  
He came back a couple minutes later, and dumped a rather large bucket of freezing cold water over Gaspar's head, and accompanied this with a rather powerful slap. Gaspar came to, coughing and sputtering. He felt that powerful grip on his throat again.  
  
"I won't ask this again. Why are you here?" Amarant once again asked.  
  
"To warn...you about..." Gaspar stammered out.  
  
"About what?! Spit it out!" Amarant shouted, shaking him.  
  
"Urgh...screw it." With that, Gaspar summoned up his remaining strength, and delivered a powerful, unexpected kick to Amarant's stomach, knocking him to the floor and releasing his grip. Gasper threw an endtable through the window and leaped out of the castle, running as fast as his legs could carry him once he hit ground.  
  
"DAMNIT!!" Amarant shouted, his shout of despair ringing through the castle. He jumped onto the window sill, and leaped out, attempting to capture him. 


	9. The hunt begins

"GODAMNIT GASPAR, GET BACK HERE!!!" Amarant shouted, fury ringing through his brain as he ran amongst the grass. He wasn't even sure why it was that he had been so hostile with this stranger. He slowed down for a moment, to catch his breath, stumbling over to a rock. He ran his mind over what it was the stranger had done that had caused him to snap like he did. A loud gasping issued from between his lips. At that moment, he heard a rustling.  
  
"You're back, Gaspar?" He thought aloud, not even sure where he was. However, only the wind had answered his question. He suddenly felt a tremendous amount of pain in his back, his body propelling forward and onto the ground. He looked up to see the fellow leaping into the air.  
  
"You know...You really ought to treat guests with a bit more hospitality." Gaspar said to him as he got up.  
  
"Tell me what it is you wanted to warn me about." He said to the strange person.  
  
"If it is my information you must desire, you must give me a good fight."  
  
"No problem..."  
  
Amarant rushed forward, and swung his Rune Claws, his arms sweeping outwards in a great powerful parabola as he did so. However, he did not feel himself hit anything, and he looked about curiously. As he looked about him, he noticed that there appeared to be four Gaspars around him!  
  
"What the..." Amarant said, watching all four of his opponent move about him in circles, going faster and faster. This gave him an idea. He stepped into the circle, and braced himself for impact, figuring he could knock down the real one and break his ruse. His plan failed however, as the real Gaspar saw this, and his images shattering, leap into the air, over the powerful mercenary's head, and as he hit the ground, he spun around, and let loose three daggers from his hand, two of them embedding themselves in Amarant's arm before he could evade them.  
  
Amarant reached into his satchel, and pulled from within a large shuriken, it's four blades curved sharply backwards. He threw this at his opponent as though it were a discus, removing the daggers from his arm. He watched as Gaspar held his hands up, and caught the Wing Edge between his palms.  
  
"Nice try..." Were Gaspar's only words as he threw the shuriken to Amarant's left. Amarant instinctively jumped to the left, incorrectly thinking that his formidable foe would throw it directly at him. He shouted in pain as his own weapon dug into his stomach, exposing the crimson flow that rested beneath.  
  
Amarant closed his eyes, and slowly began to raise his arms, focusing the powers of his soul directly into the wounds, slowly healing them. This process was interrupted with twin slashes to both his arms from the edge of Gaspar's swords. Amarant opened his eyes, and shouted in pain again, a berserker fury running through him now.  
  
He ran forward, and began to furiously slash at the Ninja, only for his blows to be blocked by the twin swords. Time and time again, he attemped to attack, only to have his blows parried. Finally, he focused his strength into a punch, rushing his claws forward, expecting to hit him, for once. He felt a sharp pain below his shoulders, and felt an overwhelming blackness absorbed him, his body dropping to the ground.  
  
* * *  
  
"Okay...since we're waiting for everyone else, let's go explore the town." Vivi proclaimed to his children, as he led them into the heart of Lindblum. Their entourage toured throughout the city, the children watching in wonder as their father pointed the airships, the air taxis, all the card players, and even the gyshal pickles stand. After a while, they came upon the equipment shop, and went inside.  
  
Vivi watched attentively as his children rushed about the shop, swinging about various weapons, and donning equipment.  
  
"Father...May we buy some equipment? No offense, but I don't think we all want to look exactly like you, with a minor height difference." Rei asked him.  
  
"Okay...just...tell me when you're finished...and i'll buy it...i'll be out here...at the statue..." He responded, heading out fo the story, catching a glimpse of Rei holding a long stick, at least twice as tall as he is.  
  
He walked up to a girl, who has hanging around in the middle of the square, the wind blowing about her red cloak.  
  
"Excuse me...uhm...Miss...do you play cards?" Vivi nervously asked her.  
  
"Why sure kid." The girl responded, pulling out her deck of tetra master cards.  
  
* * *  
  
Amarant's eyes fluttered open, only to see nothing but the world behind an opaque sheet. He pulled a stone of his lips, and removed the parchment from his face, standing up from the ground as he read it.  
  
Amarant...  
  
You posess a fighter's spirit. However, that alone is not enough. Come to me when you are ready, and we shall begin combat again. Should you best me, I will divulge my information to you. But again. You must find me. Here is your first clue...  
  
"A great planet, vanquisher of others, brought to an end."  
  
He stared at this note, a puzzled look now calling his face home. 


	10. The past beckons

Amarant began to think for a couple minutes. It didn't take long for the answer to dawn upon him.  
  
Must be Terra...but how will I get there? Amarant thought to himself. Chocobo...  
  
Amarant headed outside the city, far into the fields where he'd first gotten caught up into battle with Lani. He continued, looking for some fresh imprints in the ground. Eventually, he came upon a set of tracks. Set a few inches into the ground, mud and moisture ran about the edges of it.  
  
They were fresh. Amarant reached into his satchel, and pulled out an odd, all-green vegetable. He waited patiently, holding the thing high into the air. Soon, a thunderous noise came from the distance. A great, golden chocobo, came up to him. The sun shone upon it's feathers in magnificent glory. He placed the vegetable into the bird's beak, and leapt atop his back.  
  
"Wa-aa-ark!" The bird squawked. It spread it's magnificent wings outwords, and began to flap them furiously, taking off into the air with great speed, Amarant holding on tightly.  
  
* * *  
  
Vivi sat down at a table with the woman, pulling out his deck of tetra master cards as well. The woman reached up to her hat's brim, and began to straighten it, a coin rolling into her hand as she did so. She flicked it off her thumb, and the coin went soaring up into the air, spinning as it went, until gravity pulled it back to the table.  
  
"Orange. I go first." The Red Mage-ess stated.  
  
Vivi didn't even acknowledge the fact the fact that neither had called a side, and simply watched, as she put down on the table...a weakened goblin card, with one down facing arrow. He pulled out an Alexander card, being sure to place it to where the only non-guarded side was facing a blanked out spot. The goblin was his.  
  
With a scowl, she placed down another pitiful card...an oglop, with but two arrows. they rolled dice, to decide the outcome of Alexander versus oglop. Alexander claimed another victim. Now she was getting angry. She placed down a Carrion warm, making sure it was guarded on all sides. Vivi placed down a highly leveled Tantarian, and they rolled, deciding the outcome. Another card for Vivi.  
  
She then placed down a fang to battle the Tantarian, and they rolled to decide the fate of this fight. She was left with but one card...which was...a zombie. Vivi placed down a Red Rose card on it's unguarded side, making the entire board his. He took all her cards, leaving the Red Magess to walk off with an angry look on her face.  
  
Vivi shrugged, placing the newly gained cards in his pocket, and headed off into the shop. Rei came to him first. In his hand, he wielded a gigantic stick. He was garbed in a yellow robo, tied at the middle with a red belt. Intricate designs ran all over the clothing. Atop his head was a small, black cap, seeming from a distance, as though it were a part of his head. He placed some gil in Rei's hand, and Rei headed off to purchase his equipment.  
  
Next, Pao came up to him, wearing a white robe, decorated at the edges with small, red, triangles. In her hand she gripped a small rod. She also took some gil and made her purchases.  
  
Enkidou came forward, wearing a blue mantle, with thick shoulder pads. He wore light armor, navy in color, and a mask over his unseen anyway face. In his hands he held a sword.  
  
Barin came forward, holding the same exact weapon as his siblnig, Enkidou. Over his mouth was a white scarf, directly connected to the white cape draped over his shoulders. He and Enkidou compared swords, and then went forward with their cash.  
  
Finally, Mark came forward. Atop his head was a red cap, a wide brim running the perimeter of the hat, a feather sticking out of it. He wore a stylish red cape, and a suit of red chain mail. He held a different blade than Enkidou and Barin. Instead, he held in his hands, a rapier. He went forward to the counter with Barin and Enkidou, and they all payed for their stuff. Devin went outside, gripping his father's High Mage Staff, having not bought anything new at all.  
  
* * *  
  
Amarant clung tightly to the chocobo, it's wings spreading out far from either side of him. He watched as the various islands passed beneath him, until it had all gone. There was nothing but a mass of blue...a cold...lonely blue...  
  
A distant, periodic, flap of wind made it's way into Amarant's ears, but he just disregarded this, his only focus being to stay on the golden chocobo.  
  
Without warning, a monstrous beast pierced the clouds, and appeared suddenly before them. It's body was slender, and covered with thick, ebony plates. It's face was cowled back into a horrendous smile. Long wings jutted out from the monster's back, keeping it afloat.  
  
It didn't take long for the beast to rush forward, making a bone- chilling noise as he swiftly pierced the air. The chocobo attempted to make a quick dodge, in which it suceeded. Amarant felt his hands slipping against the golden feathers. Frantically, he grabbed at anything. However, he accidentally grabbed the skin of the chocobo's neck too hard. The bird reflexively bucked him off, as it made it's speedy getaway from the flying- snake.  
  
Amaranted tumbled throught the sky, making a whistling noise as he did so. He could soo the once smooth, lonely blue, becoming even deeper, darker, and rougher. The waves seemed to grow bigger, beckoning to him. Amarant braced himself for impact.  
  
However, the impact never came. He blinked, and looking down, he saw...cobblestone? What sort of illusion was this? It seemed he was about to land in an ancient ruin...but there was no water? He braced himself for impact once again, but still, it never happened.  
  
A sphere seemed to grow before his very eyes, as he came closer to the floor. It flashed various colors, and bubbles seemed to jump from it's surface. He landed right in, and seemed to be in a whole new world.  
  
Colors swam all about him, seeming so very close, and yet so far away. He walked about, looking for an exit, but could see none. All he could see was the endless colors, and the rising bubbles.  
  
He remembered seeing this briefly before. He, Vivi, Eiko, and Zidane had all shared that experience, as they left...Memoria...  
  
Amarant buckled his knees against the seemingly not there floor, and jumped. He could feel an odd sort of liquid running around him, and he could also see the world expanding. As he tore a hole in it's surface, even more bubbles jumped out than usual, as he nonchalantly jumped from the void.  
  
He looked about. He was here again...Memoria...  
  
He walked about, his footsteps echoing loudly, bouncing off a seemingly endless void. As he looked to his left, he saw a young boy. He was standing atop a cliff's acme, wearing a flowing red scarf, which billowed in the wind, blending in with the boy's long, scarlet hair. Suddenly, a young girl ran up. Her hair looked almost exactly the same. In her hands, she held a bloodied hatchet.  
  
"Come on brother...you can't stand here all day...the monsters will get you! I had to fight my way up here myself!" The little shouted at the child. The red-haired boy's shoulders raised up, and then down, as he lept down the rock, trotting after his running sister. The two images went by Amarant.  
  
Amarant continued onward. There he saw another familiar form. A red- haired lady. She was thin, and whispy looking, short in stature, and looked as though the wind could snap her in half. A long, white gown billowed about her body, as she closed a window to block out the harsh winds, but it was to of no avail.  
  
The window blew back open again, freezing winds rushing into the room. The woman shivered, and took out a board, a hammer, and some nails. She placed the board atop the window, placed a nail atop it, and began to hammer away. She repeated the process again, keeping the window shut. She turned from the window with a sigh, and sat down below it, leaning up against a wall.  
  
Suddenly, a door, on the opposite end of the hall busted open, and in rushed the cheery, red-haired girl, tossing the bloodied hatchet to the floor, she ran to the woman, and leapt into her open arms. The two began to hug tightly. The red haired boy was there too, but he, however, remained in the doorway, watching the two. 


	11. Sister? Sister? Where have I come to n...

"Memoria...how did I get here?" Amarant asked himself, giving little to no regard of the past event that had just unfolded before him.  
  
He sat down upon a fallen pillar for a moment, to rest. As he did he watched as another one of the memories that floated about in this place once again began to play out before him.  
  
He saw himself as he was now. Tall. Strong. Mysterious. He was fighting another person. The man was tan-skinned, wearing a pair of denim overalls, from rustic country places. From his chin flowed a scruff, black beard, into which his mustache seamlessly integrated.  
  
Fiercely did the two images battle. The big, powerful, overall clad man threw immense punches. But as of yet, not one of them had met with Amarant. They had all been stopped, or evaded.  
  
It was then that he watched himself pull a curved knife from his satchel, and before the big man could do anything, he chucked the blade at him. The business end embedded itself into the man's chest.  
  
The man stumbled backwards, making wounded gasps, trying as best he could to hold onto the life he had lived so long. But it was all for naught. The man dropped to his knees, and then fell to the ground. The knife's handle propped his torse a few inches off the ground.  
  
He watched his own image take out an axe, which was strapped to his back. Placing his foot upon the big man's back, he swung the axe at his neck, and had hewn it from his body.  
  
Amarant's image then took out a few tourniquettes, and thoroughly bandaged up the neck. Not that it helped all that much, but it did a little bit. He took the head off into the distance with him.  
  
Amarant couldn't see much happening. But he saw him passing the man's head to another, shady figure, and also saw himself accepting some cash.  
  
After this was all over, Amarant got up from the ancient pillar, and headed back from whence he came, seeking a way out, his footsteps echoing eerily throughout the darkness.  
  
* * *  
  
The group had feasted merrily, even within the absence of one of their own. All of them feasted upon some sort of meat, some of Quina's frog legs, and some mashed potatoes. There was something else in the potatoes other than the potatoes themselves, but none of them knew quite what.  
  
When all was over, they marched out of Cid's palace, aside of course, from Hilda, Cid, and their newly adopted daughter Eiko.  
  
They boarded the airship, single file. Even though their numbers were lessened, they appeared to be more, with the new appearances of Vivi's children.  
  
In Cid's stead, Rei took up the airship's helm, being the most intelligent, and well-read one there, he had a surprising amount of skill with the airships controls.  
  
* * *  
  
As Amarant continued on through the darkness, he soon noticed that it was no longer so dark at all. And instead, he heard a voice calling out to him.  
  
Just as he looked up to see who the voice belonged to, the light grew in amount, and spilled deep into his eyes. He had gone temporarily blind.  
  
Once he had regained vision, he saw a gruff man standing above him. His white beard contrasted greatly with the dark tan of his skin. At his side was a great cutlass, resting in it's sheath. About him flowed a long, black coat.  
  
"So the one who dared to land upon the ship of the corsairs finally awakens..." The man barked out. "I do believe we've got a new slave...what say you, Barinten?"  
  
A man stepped out from the darkness. His clothes seemed somewhat official, but yet, they were not. They were haggard, and covered in dust.  
  
"I do believe you are right, captain Golmor..." Barinten responded. The two shared a hearty laugh between them.  
  
Amarant would not allow this to happan. Leaping from the bed, not even noticing his claws were gone, he shot his fist forward, the business end slamming hard into Barinten's face, knocking him to the floor.  
  
At this, Golmor drew his cutlass, and made a mighty swipe at Amarant. Amarant reflexively threw his other fist forward, not noticing until he'd already done it that his claws were gone.  
  
The sword sliced into his hand, and he fell back in pain, clutching the wounding hand. The captain laughed at this.  
  
"Hahahaha...forgetting something there?" Captain Golmor roared, as he pulled out from one of his coat's pockets, the rune claws. The orb in the center glowed ominously.  
  
At this, Amarant leapt up when the captain had let his guard down, still dangling the claw, and snatched it from his hand. The captain turned about to see Amarant donning his weapon, ignoring the pain of the wound.  
  
"So you want a fight, eh?" Golmor boomed.  
  
The large man stuck into his mouth, two fingers, and emitted a shrill whistle. As soon as he did. hundreds of mane came down, dressed just like Barinten, their cutlasses drawn as well.  
  
Amarant knew he was outmatched. He could not take on all these men without one of them stabbing him in the back. He would have to wait until another time.  
  
Amarant made no resistance at all when two men came forward, dragging a mess of chains with them. They then bound Amarant up, and pushed him up to the outer deck. 


End file.
